Imam and the Revolution

The night of the 21st of the Iranian month of Bahman1 (February 10th, 1979), Imam was sitting with his head down listening to the radio. I was also sitting by his side. It was announced that the radio and television stations had fallen from the government’s control.

Imam clapped two hands together and stood up without thinking. I have only seen him clap his hands that once. He was very happy and this happiness was apparent on his face.

At that very time, he said: “Now it’s finished, now it’s finished.” I did not understand then what this sentence meant! Afterwards I understood that when the radio fell into the hands of the nation, the world would understand that the regime had fallen out of power. Perhaps I can say that I have at no other time seen the happiness of that day on his face.2

If we helped the Revolution, Imam would become very happy. During the war, the residents of Jamaaraan would gather at Imam’s house and at the house of our brother to help from behind the war front. Imam would come and always express happiness and satisfaction when he would see that we were all sitting working, one stitching a quilt, another pouring Aajeel into a nylon bag, and another doing something else.

I even said one time: “Give us permission to write on the back of this bag of Aajeel that it has been filled by the Imam himself and sent for the war front so that the soldier that receives this Aajeel becomes happy.” However, Imam did not accept this.3

Imam who stood firm and solid against oppressors and the forces of shaytan, was very humble with the child and mother of a martyr.

As an example, a mother of a martyr had come from Ahwaaz to meet the Imam. She had also written him a letter but was not successful in meeting him. She stayed for 2 or 3 days in the same area, and then returned to Ahwaaz. There she wrote a letter along the following lines: “Hazrat Imam! I came to Tehran but was not successful in meeting you.” Imam had written on the top of this letter: “Until you bring this martyr’s mother to meet me, I will not go to meet anyone.”

Another time I also remember that we had gone to meet him. Imam had finished his Dhuhr prayers. I entered and said that a number of the families of martyrs want to come and kiss your hand. Imam came and sat. The people who were there lined up so that they could kiss the Imam’s hand.

In this state, they were crying and would not pass after seeing the Imam. We were really ashamed that this inconvenience had been created for him, and that there was an interruption between his prayers. Upset, we finally decided to tell them to pass through. At one point, Imam turned to me cheerfully and said: “How are you? No, allow them to be.”4

As per his extreme order and discipline in his work, after the summary of the news, Imam appointed 8 o’clock in the morning for office work and stamping bills. He never changed this timetable.

Even on those days that occasionally, because of slight illness or intense cold weather and frost, that he didn’t come to his work room, we were authorised to go to his room, so that no matter what, the work of the office and businesses did not get delayed or suspended. So that order and timing did not clash, if he foresaw a certain issue that would prevent him being on time, he would inform us the day before.

After the completion of this portion of his work, he carried out the programme of reciting aqd (marriage contracts for couples) and then hand-kissing, and after that, if a private meeting for heads or various persons had been arranged beforehand, they were carried out. Despite all these scheduled programmes, exceptions also occurred whereby Imam ordered the schedule to be suspended.

One of these exceptions related to Ayatullah Khamenei. When Imam became aware that he was present in the office at the start, i.e. at 8 o’clock in the morning, he instructed us: “All of you leave your work until later.” In this manner, against the norm, first the meeting with Ayatullah Khamanei was carried out and then we got busy in our work.

At that time, we did not understand the distinction and special attention given by Imam to Ayatullah Khamenei, but it wasn’t long, that with the passing of time, another example of the foresight and deep thinking of the Imam became apparent.5

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